The invention relates to a modular control casing, particularly a casing having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, assembled from two homogeneous casing shells which can be joined together.
Such a modular-construction casing is required in order to bring electronic control elements, status displays or other components, together with one or more plug-in connections, directly to the load, in a decentralized manner, in an industrial environment.
Known in industrial applications is the practice of housing electronic components for controlling motors and sensors predominantly in metal casings, in order to protect them from human contact and from the corrosive industrial atmosphere.
Also known, moreover, is the practice of producing casings, predominantly made from plastics, from half-shells which can be joined together, these casings being provided to receive electronic equipment and being sometimes used for cordless operation and sometimes as cabled adapter casings.
Disadvantages of such casings, however, are that for the most part they cannot be used in a harsh industrial environment and that, with only one casing version, variable application is not possible.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to develop a modular-construction control casing of the initially indicated type such that the casing can be used for industrial application with heavy-duty plug-in connectors, while at the same time providing for control or display possibilities by means of integrated electronic equipment.
This object is achieved in that there are provided in the corner regions of the casing shells angles (or angled portions), formed-on perpendicularly to the casing shell, whose end faces abut upon assembly of the casing shells, in that inner posts (or post portions), separated from the angles, are provided in the corner regions, the posts being shortened relative to the angles, in that in the casing shells a circumferential groove is formed which runs between the angles and the posts, in that a single-piece, elastic seal with a sealing profile can be inserted in the circumferential groove, in that end pieces (or corner pieces), formed onto the seal, project between the separated angles and posts, and in that formed-on pieces provided on the end pieces bear on top faces of the posts.
The advantages achieved by the invention consist particularly in that the modular-construction control casing renders possible a variable construction of a casing suitable for industrial application in which electronic equipment can be installed, in the context of decentralization of control tasks towards the consumer""s installation, with, at the same time, one or more plug-in connectors being mountable in appropriate adapters on the control casing.
The control casing consists essentially of two half-shells which can be joined together by means of posts, formed out of the half-shells, and screws which are let into the posts.
All four narrow sides of the rectangular parallelepiped casing are provided with openings, produced between the posts, in which either a plate part, for the closure of the respective side, or an adapter, for receiving, for example, plug-in connectors, can be inserted.
The plate parts are advantageously provided, at their narrow sides, with bevels running out from the centre to the edges, so that they can be firmly inserted in the opening of the casing, the opening being provided with a circumferential groove.
In addition, mounting plates or printed-circuit boards can be mounted on base-type supports inside the casing.
The use of a circumferential rubber seal advantageously provides for a dust-tight and splashwater-tight casing, with a protection rating of up to IP 65, for use in a harsh industrial environment.
In addition, such a casing can also be attached to DIN mounting rails within switchgear cabinets, or can be otherwise optionally mounted.